Experiences and unmet needs of women with physical disabilities for pain relief during labor and delivery

Linda Long-Bellil, PhD, JD, Monika Mitra, PhD, Lisa I. Iezzoni, MD, MSc, Suzanne C. Smeltzer, EdD, RN, Lauren D. Smith, MPH Disability and Health Journal, Vol. 10, Issue 3, p440–444 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.02.007   Background Childbirth is widely acknowledged as one of the most painful experiences most women will undergo in their lifetimes. Alleviating labor and delivery pain for women with physical disabilities […]

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“They must understand we are people”: Pregnancy and maternity service use among signing Deaf women in Cape Town

Margaret W. Gichane, MSPH, Marion Heap, PhD, Mayara Fontes, MA, Leslie London, MD. Disability and Health Journal, Vol. 10, Issue 3, p434–439 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.03.016   Background Women with disabilities are at disproportionate risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes, however, there is limited information on their pregnancy histories. This mixed-methods study focuses on signing Deaf women whose access to health care may be compromised […]

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“We don’t know. We’ve never had anybody like you before”: Barriers to perinatal care for women with physical disabilities

Lesley A. Tarasoff Disability and Health Journal, Vol. 9, Issue 3, p457–463 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.03.017   Background While more women with physical disabilities are becoming mothers, many encounter barriers to perinatal care and experience poor outcomes. Little is known about the perinatal care experiences and outcomes of women with physical disabilities in Canada. Objective This qualitative study sought to understand […]

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Paying the price to get there”: Motherhood and the dynamics of pregnancy deliberations among women with disabilities

Tracey A. LaPierre, PhD, Mary K. Zimmerman, PhD, Jean P. Hall, PhD Disability and Health Journal, Vol. 10, Issue 3, p419–425 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.02.011   Background Women with disabilities report fewer pregnancies than those without disabilities. Objective To explore the range of factors involved in pregnancy decision-making among women with disabilities, and give insight into the decision making process. Methods Data were […]

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Reproductive healthcare experiences of women with cerebral palsy

Katharine Hayward, PhD, MPH, Angela Y. Chen, MD, MPH, Elizabeth Forbes, MPH, Rachel Byrne, PT, Marcia B. Greenberg, MS PT, Eileen G. Fowler, PT, PhD Disability and Health Journal, Vol. 10, Issue 3, p413–418 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.03.015   Background Little is known about pregnancy rates in women with disabilities in general and even less is known about women with child-onset disabilities such as cerebral palsy […]

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Birth outcomes among US women with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Ilhom Akobirshoev, PhD, MA, MSW, Susan L. Parish, PhD, MSW, Monika Mitra, PhD, Eliana Rosenthal Disability and Health Journal, Vol. 10, Issue 3, p406–412 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.02.010   Background Women with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are bearing children at increasing rates. However, there is very little research about pregnancy experiences and birth outcomes among women with IDD. No studies to date have […]

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Female sterilization is more common among women with physical and/or sensory disabilities than women without disabilities in the United States

  Justine P. Wu, Michael M. McKee, Kimberly S. Mckee, Michelle A. Meade, Melissa Plegue, Ananda Sen Disability and Health Journal, Vol. 10, Issue 3, p400–405 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2016.12.020   Background Female sterilization accounts for 50% of all contraceptive use in the U.S. The extent to which U.S. women with physical and/or sensory disabilities have undergone female sterilization is unknown. Objective Our primary objective was […]

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Disparities in receipt of family planning services by disability status: New estimates from the National Survey of Family Growth

William Mosher, PhD, Tina Bloom, PhD, MPH, RN, Rosemary Hughes, PhD, Leah Horton, MSPH, Ramin Mojtabai, MD, PhD, MPH, Jeanne L. Alhusen, PhD, CRNP, RN Disability and Health Journal, Vol. 10, Issue 3, p394–399 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.03.014   Background A substantial and increasing population of US women of childbearing age live with disability. Disability-based disparities in access to family planning services have been previously […]

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Live birth, miscarriage, and abortion among U.S. women with and without disabilities

Willi Horner-Johnson, PhD, Sheetal Kulkarni-Rajasekhara, MPH, Blair G. Darney, PhD, MPH, Mekhala Dissanayake, MPH, CPH, Aaron B. Caughey, MD, PhD Disability and Health Journal, Vol. 10, Issue 3, p382–386 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.02.006   Background Prior studies have found that women with disabilities who give birth are more likely to have preterm deliveries and low birthweight infants. However, it is not known what proportion of […]

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Time trends in births and cesarean deliveries among women with disabilities

Willi Horner-Johnson, PhD, Frances M. Biel, MPH, MS, Blair G. Darney, PhD, MPH, Aaron B. Caughey, MD, PhD Disability and Health Journal, Vol. 10, Issue 3, p376–381 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.02.009   Background Although it is likely that childbearing among women with disabilities is increasing, no empirical data have been published on changes over time in the numbers of women with disabilities giving birth. […]

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